Torch, Spring/Summer 2011

22 TORCH | Spring–Summer 2011 JAREK SZYMANSKI | ISTOCKPHOTO Him, we must be still. Allowing the clutter to dissipate allows the Holy Spirit to move. Jan Winebrenner wrote in her book Intimate Faith , “stillness is not a luxury; it’s an essential ingredient to the life of faith. Without it, I stagger and limp along a path that should be filled with dancing.” The retreat was a profound turning point in our lives. We left with a deep sense that we must pursue a regular practice of stillness before God. We asked, “What will I lose if I don’t continue this? What can I cut out, or what can I simplify to keep this a central part of my life?” We soon found this practice to be essential for our very survival. Within a few weeks and months following the retreat, we both suffered devastating losses of dear friends and family members. As we were brought to our knees, God brought us back to the questions He had placed in our hearts at the Abbey: Do you need me? Do you trust me? Only then did we understand the message on that old garden gate: “God Alone” would carry us through. When we walk through valleys of hard times, we cry with those who are closest to us. We lean on our most intimate relationships for comfort and support. If we have cultivated an intimate relationship with God, we will run to Him. The time we had spent in stillness before God had fortified our souls. We could echo the lyrics from the band Jars of Clay: “I will sing of Your mercy that leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy.” Just as God had promised, in those valleys, He was our strength and our song. Silence in Practice Author Dallas Willard wrote, “It was an important day in my life when at last I understood that if Jesus needed 40 days in the wilderness at one point, I very likely could use three or four.” While taking time away in a structured retreat center can be a powerful